This work aimed to evaluate the yield and quality of melon fruits, types Yellow (Gold Mine) and "Charentais" (Fleuron), in an experiment carried out at the Universidade Federal de Viçosa, from 11/24/2003 to 03/11/2004. The treatments were constituted of four cultivation environments: control (full sun) and shaded with screens Aluminet® 30%-O, Cromatinet® 30%-O and Sombrite® 30%. The experiment was disposed in a completely randomized design, with four replicatios. Among the treatments with shading the screen Aluminet® 30%. O was the one that most stood out, not having differences in yield and quality of fruits from those obtained under conditions of full sun. The climatic factors registered in each cultivation environment and the inherent genetic factors to the hybrid Gold Mine (Inodorus group) and Fleuron (Cantaloupensis group) also interfered in the yield and quality of the melon fruits. The low daily medium sunshine, the moderate photosynthetic active radiation and the high precipitation registered along the experiment contributed to the reduction in the quality of the fruits. The good performance of the melon plant, when cultivated under Aluminet® 30%-O screen, opens perspectives for agroforest systems or associated cultivations.
Cucumis melon; shading; yield; total soluble solids; ethylene
